The Other Side of the Brook
by whovianstudent
Summary: Male!Hungary and Fem!Austria. Rebecca is trapped in a sheltered, mundane existence as a princess. Could a hunter be her ticket out? T for Prussia's not-very-nice language and possibly...other things.
1. In which we meet our two main characters

**Hello *waves* I have returned! I only like Austria-Hungary fics if both are genderbent, but I can't find any. So I decided to make one. I own and regret nothing.**

Rebecca sighed. The view from the castle window was pretty, but all too familiar. She had never been outside the castle walls and rarely let out of her own room. The door opened quietly. She turned and placed her hands in her lap demurely.

The butler had brought her supper. He set the tray down on a side table with practiced ease and bowed. "Your dinner, Princess." Rebecca gave a small smile. "Thank you. You are dismissed." Arthur smiled back and backed out of the room. Rebecca stood and walked over to her precious piano.

She played Beethoven's Symphony 5:1, The Marriage of Figaro Overture, and Solomon: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba before she felt really hungry.

She ate the food without tasting (Francis the chef would not approve) and prepared for bed. Brushing her brown hair with long strokes, she looked in the mirror.

There was a petite, pale girl, with large purple eyes, long brown hair, and silver-wire glasses. She quickly changed out of her orchid colored afternoon dress into anightgown. Princess Rebecca slowly drifted off to sleep.

**TIME LAPSE**

"Elijah? Oh ELIIIIJAH?" Green eyes snapped open. "What?" A very annoying albino grinned down. "You look sooooo un-awesome when you're sleeping." Elijah sighed.

This was normal. Gilbert was the most egotistical bastard...but they were still friends. The brunette shook his head slowly. Gilbert cocked his head to the side.

"What's the matter, oh unawesome one?" Elijah sighed and shook his head. "You wouldn't understand, you sworn bachelor you." Gilbert laughed. "Kesesesese. So you finally feel the fatherly urge?"

Elijah looked up. "The what?" Gilbert sighed, as if talking to an imbecile. "Every time I get a good hunting partner, they decide 'Oh my. I feel I need to get married and have a family. Let me abandon mein awesome friend and go find a woman.' Every. Fucking. Time."

Elijah winced at the language. "Aye, Gilbert. Language, please. But, I do feel like I need something to... to take care of. I'm sure you've had that feeling, right?"

Gilbert eyed the other man suspiciously. "Can I trust you?" Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Sure. What's so important?"

Gilbert sighed and looked away. "Well...there was a girl. She lived in our village. She was pretty and the right combination of fiery and demure. And awesome. Did I say awesome?" Elijah shook her head. "Well, she was awesome. And we... we had a little thing going, but her family...left. The whole damn lot of them became servants in the palace. I never saw her again..." The distant look was unfamiliar in his ruby eyes.

Elijah uncomfortably patted his back. "See? You're not the only one. I have an idea. We will go to the capital and look for your lady. Maybe I'll find one in the meantime. Hopefully she wants kids..." Gilbert looked at Elijah.

"You would travel to that bat-shit crazy capital for me? And for Madeline?" Elijah smiled. "Hell yes."

Gilbert jumped to his feet. "What in the name of the awesome me are we waiting for. ALLONS-Y!"

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "French? Really?"

Gilbert glanced back. "I have my friends you know..."

**OK! First attempt at humor. Reviews are loved but flames will be used to toast marshmallows. HOORAY FOR S'MORES! Adios...**


	2. In which a lot of stuff happens

_TWANG! THUNK! _"Kesesesese! The awesome me shot another one!" Gilbert did a tiny dance of victory. Elijah cocked an eyebrow and gave _The Look_.

"So what Gil? It's one more rabbit. Yes, I know how awesome it is that you shot it through the eye and we should get a good price at market." Gilbert huffed, then grinned as he swung up on his horse. "I can't believe I might possibly see Birdie again. She's pretty...and really nice. One might even say _awesome_." The albino gave Elijah a (rare) serious look. "She didn't even notice my skin." Elijah nodded. "Sounds lovely. But really, we should get going."

Gilbert nodded, and they were off, Elijah checking his traps as they went. They were wandering, but this time with a destination in mind: the capital city.

BREAK

"Ve~ Buon Giorno Princess Rebecca! Isn't it pretty outside?" Rebecca couldn't help but smile. Feliciano might be air-headed, but he always made her smile. He was her best friend within the castle walls. The Italian furrowed his brow and tilted his head. "What is it, _Principessa_? You seem quieter than usual." Rebecca gave a small sigh.

"Well...it's just that I've never really been outside the castle. And I heard Madeline and Tina gossiping about the Harvest Festival coming up soon, and I'd think I'd like to go." Feliciano became thoughtful in a slightly devious way. He gave a look that was very frightening on his innocent face.

"I have a plan, Princess. But we must go somewhere where no one might be listening..." He pulled the princess in the general direction of the fountain.

BREAK

Rebecca slowly turned in a circle. The dress was no comparison to her expensive gowns, but it resembled your average villager quite well. The purple color had a common beauty to it. Feliciano nodded slowly. "You don't look common. You're far too pretty. But it shall do, for it is night time. I heard Ludwig the baker will be there." The Italian man giggled sweetly.

Rebecca breathed out and tied the strings of Feliciano's gold-coloured mask. As he tied hers, she felt something like fear settle in her chest. Feliciano looked at her. "I blackmailed the guards just in case. We'll be fine. You wouldn't believe what one little secret would do to a person.."

BREAK

Elijah inhaled the scent of pumpkins and cinnamon deeply. The harvest moon watched the festivities below. Gilbert's red eyes glowed with something mischievous. "It seems we made it in time for the Harvest Festival. Do you know what this means?" He asked, turning towards Elijah.

The brunette shook his head slowly. "Two words. Free. Beer. And Food..." Elijah frowned and fingered his frying pan absentmindedly. "That's four words. So I set up all those traps for nothing?" Gilbert shook his head. "We can sell them! So we might have a few extra coins on our persons for once." "Fair enough."

BREAK

Rebecca was awash in noise and light. She had never known there were so many PEOPLE in the village. She smelled thousands of different things she had never smelled before. She fiddled with her small leather pouch that held a few coins. Suddenly a pair of grimy hands slipped over her mouth.

The princess instinctively kicked back, but the man was very strong. His hand slipped downwards "Eh, a pretty one she is," he smirked.

Elijah's green eyes were roaming the crowd when he saw the girl struggling against her captor. "Let go of her!" He ran over and hit him over the head with that trusty frying pan. "I'm so sick of you lowlifes. Don't touch her. Or my hunting partner and I will string you up by your fat thumbs and leave you there. Understood?" Elijah could look quite menacing when he wanted to, Gilbert thought. The man nodded weakly. Elijah shoved the man aside and knelt beside Rebecca, who seemed to have fainted.

BREAK

"Are you alright?" Rebecca's purple eyes fluttered open to soft candlelight. _Where am I?_ "You're at an inn, Miss." _Did I say that out loud?_ "Yes, you did." The girl sighed. Then she sat up and stifled a shriek. "S-Sir?" Elijah looked over from a chair. "Hm?" "Please- what time is it?" Elijah took out a very old pocket watch. "Oh, about 3 o'clock in the morning, I'd say."

"I have to get home. My father is...very strict about these things." Not to mention he didn't even know she was gone...or that she would probably be put in solitary...

"I apologize for not introducing myself. I'm Elijah." Rebecca blinked distractedly and looked at him. "I'm Rebecca."

**Wow. I never meant for it to be this long! It just sort of was there. Apologies for the lack of funny. I thought it was fun making Italy Austria's sassy gay friend. Let me know if it works. By the way, I heard that Mangary's human name is Daniel. Elijah just seemed to work better for me. Sorry. I do actually know where this is going...sort of. Yeah. Reviewers get magical cookies and a shirtless nation, flames are used to make PASTAAAAAH! I don't own anything. If I did... there would be a lot more yaoi. And PruCan. Omnomnomnom. -KM**

**Clarifications:**

**Buon Giorno: Good Morning  
>Principessa: Princess<br>****Tina=Fem!Finland **

**PS: I have a tumblr, if anyone out there would like to follow me its "w h o t a l i n u n . t u m b l r . c o m", without the spaces. I'll follow you back!**


	3. The morning after, not that way, France!

"Your Highness..." Angelique gently shook the princess. "You are late for breakfast, Princess." Rebecca blinked sleepily, then sat up at a ridiculous speed.

"Late? Quickly, Angelique. Please fetch my morning gown and petticoats." _How am I late? I'm always the one to wake up with the sun...oh._ Memories of the night before flooded her brain. _What have I done?_

BREAK

Rebecca was feeling very out of sorts at breakfast. She sipped her tea, hoping to calm her slightly frayed nerves.

Her mother glared at her. "We have not said grace yet, Rebecca."

The brunette quickly put down her tea cup, almost breaking it. Her father murmured the same words he said at every meal, and they began to dine in prickly silence.

BREAK

Elijah groaned and rolled over. He had a devilish headache, and it didn't show any sign of subsiding.

Gilbert laughed, but shut up when a frying pan was flung inches away from his head.

"This is why you need to drink more often! You'll get a better alcohol tolerance like me! Even though I have beer for blood, I pride myself on my awesome ability to handle my liquor."

The green-eyed man hissed in pain and tried to go back to sleep.

BREAK

The cloaked man stole away, cursing under his breath. He ducked into a filthy alleyway.

"Did ye do it yet?" His contact hissed slimily.

"Nay. Some boy who thinks hisself noble saved 'er."

"A noble one?" The evident leader sighed. "I suppose we'll have to deal with 'im too."

BREAK

Rebecca was pacing. Up to the window, back across the rug, to the painting of her family on the wall. Feliciano was quiet, for once. Perched lightly on the polished vanity stool, he appeared to be knitting something with sky-blue yarn that had an odd, silvery tint.

Rebecca stopped.

Feliciano looked up. "Principessa? What's wrong?" Tears almost stilled in his amber-coloured eyes. "Did you have a bad time? Oh dear. I'll go make some pasta..."

Rebecca shook her head. "No, it's not that." She sat down thoughtfully. "You see...I met a man...and he was very kind to me. And very handsome." The princess took off her glasses and started polishing them.

Feliciano's eyes shot open, then narrowed with a knowing look. "Oh...the princess found a pretty one, did she now?" He swayed smugly back and forth.

Rebecca spun around and frowned. "Yes, he was quite handsome, but THAT is NOT the POINT." The Italian tilted his head.

"What is the point, then?"

Rebecca groaned. "I really haven't a clue. I went out, which I've never done, and was...," here, she blushed, "manhandled. But that's not what I'll remember in the future. I'll remember the good parts. And now I feel ill." She sank gracefully on the couch and pushed her glasses further up her nose.

BREAK

"Oi, Gilbert. You appear to be thinking. Should I be worried?" Elijah laughed. Gilbert growled halfheartedly.

"Gilbert?"

"Yes, Elijah?"

"Is there a problem?" At this, the red eyes rolled up and shut. The albino flopped backwards on the ground.

"I saw her." Elijah thought for a moment.

"Fantastic! So you-"

"I tried. She wouldn't talk to me."

**Ooooh PruCan cliffhanger! *should be studying for exams* So how am I doing? I fail at making this story funny... Sad lack of reviews is sad :(. Reviewers will be given Pocky and the shirtless Hitachiin Twin, Italy twin, or North American of their choice. Whotaku out.**


	4. Le fire!

The cloaked man scampered into a patch of moonlight. He slid the small map from his sleeve and squinted. He smiled. It seemed that the powder magazine was closer to the castle than he thought.

He stole off, sneaking towards Rebecca's home.

BREAK

Rebecca tossed and opened her eyes. Something was burning, tearing at her throat and eyes. She sat up and swung her feet off the bed.

Smoke.

She had smelled it once before, when Francis was sick and Arthur took up cooking. She shuddered lightly at the memory, then walked softly over to the window.

A terrible glow was coming from the direction of- _the powder magazine! _

Something nagged at her, an angel, perhaps, and told her to put on her peasant clothes and shoes. She changed quickly, not stopping to think.

_Run. Run. Run._

She packed small leather bag with a change of (commoner's) clothes, a bar of soap from the washroom, and a few pieces of bread and cheese from last night's meal.

Rebecca was almost out the door, when she froze. She ran back over to her bedside table, grabbed a silver locket, and sprinted away.

BREAK

The fire was spreading. As the king and queen obviously did not share a guardian angel with Rebecca, they slept soundly.

Rebecca looked disdainfully at the guards. They were sleeping, but as if they had been...drugged.

The word made her world shake itself, like a dog after a bath. _What am I doing? _she wondered.

At that moment, the powder magazine chose to spread the flame to the castle. The flame licked at the lovely purple banner, devouring it furiously.

So she ran.

BREAK

Running. Running. Running. She had never been in the forest, but, by some force of providence, was able to find her way back to the village.

Rebecca stopped at the edge of town. She realized that she was not hidden by a mask tonight, so the princess smoothed down her hair (excluding that obnoxious curl) and straightened her village dress.

She felt the sudden urge to cry.

As she took a few steps forward, something seized her around the leg and swiftly pulled her up.

Rebecca screamed.

BREAK

Thankfully, it was quite early in the morning. Elijah woke with a start. He had heard a scream from the direction of his traps. He slipped out of the blankets and peered at Gilbert curiously. He appeared to be mumbling something about birds.

Elijah pulled on his leather boots and crept towards the now-whimpers.

He was startled to find a girl hanging from a tree.

Her eyes widened and she started to scream again. He tried desperately to let her know that she was safe, but resorted to clapping a hand over her mouth. Rebecca's eyes were filled with tears.

He cut the rope with his knife, and gently carried her back to camp.

BREAK

Rebecca's eyes were puffy. She opened them, to find a pair of green orbs looking at her worriedly. She sat up, almost hitting her head on the man in front of her.

She began to apologize, but the man cut her off. "My apologies. I should have not frightened you so." He furrowed his brow and tilted his head. "Have we met?" Rebecca's brain was too fuzzy to respond. The man nodded. "Maybe you should go back to sleep."

Rebecca was too tired to disagree. She slipped into a cold sleep.

BREAK

Gilbert was carving a bit of wood when Madeline ran into their little camp. Her cheeks were tear-stained and flushed red.

The albino stood up and strode over, displacing Gilbird. "Birdie, what's wrong?" She tried to compose herself, only to start a racking sobbing again. Elijah noticed the girl and came over, silently tying his hair into a low ponytail with a scrap of leather.

"They burned it. They burned it all. The king and queen are dead! Our enemies have taken the throne." Gilbert and Elijah looked at each other. Gilbert, being slightly stupid sometimes, spoke up.

"Burned what?" This, of course, sent the poor traumatized girl into a fresh fit, which gave him the opportunity to comfort her.

She murmured quietly, "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you all, I was being watched." Elijah and Gilbert nodded.

After the girl calmed down enough, she disentangled herself from Gilbert, and her eyes fell upon the sleeping, dirty, puffy-eyed Rebecca. She looked disbelievingly at the two men. "How did the Princess get here? We thought for sure she died in the fire as well."

Elijah and Gilbert took a moment to process this. "The WHAT?"

**Updating guilt is more motivating than deadlines. True story. Review and I will give you a bubble-pipe-smoking kangaroo who cleans kitchens and can travel through time and space and/or a cookie.**


End file.
